On February 23, 2011, ROK President Lee Myung-bak met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at the Presidential Palace at Cheong Wa Dae.
Yang spoke highly of the relationship between China and the ROK, noting that President Lee Myung-bak has been committed to promoting China-ROK relations since he took office. The bilateral ties between the two sides have reached a new high since the two countries established strategic cooperative partnership in 2008. China thanks for the ROK's positive support of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Shanghai World Expo, he said, adding China supports the 2012 Yeosu World Expo and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games to be hosted by the ROK. China attaches great importance to its relationship with the ROK, Yang said, adding that China is ready to work closely with the ROK to maintain high-level exchanges, increase political mutual trust, expand people-to-people contacts and strengthen pragmatic cooperation in all areas, so as to further promote the strategic cooperative partnership with the ROK.
On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Yang said to maintain and promote peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the whole region is one of China's "fundamental starting points" of dealing with peninsula affairs. The "starting points" are also based on principles, including achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and long-term stability in northeast Asia, as well as maintaining and promoting common interests of the countries in the region and their peoples, Yang added. To this end, China supports inter-Korean dialogue and sincerely hopes it will bring positive outcome. China is willing to make unremitting efforts together with the ROK side for peace, stability and prosperity in this region, Yang said.
In response, Lee said it is heartening to see that the bilateral ties between the two countries developed to the current level in a short time since the establishment of diplomatic ties, which has made important contributions to peace and stability in the region. He said he believes that the bilateral ties will certainly achieve greater development in the year of 2011. Lee said the ROK side appreciates positive efforts made by China in promoting inter-Korean dialogue, adding that the ROK is willing to continue to push ahead with inter-Korean dialogue and the process of denuclearization of the peninsula.